The Mini Cooper Countryman is the only small car to earn a good rating among the latest group of 12 small cars subjected to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s small overlap front crash test.
Two electric models and a hybrid are in the mix, with varied results. The electric-powered Chevrolet Volt (with a gasoline engine “range extender”) earns an acceptable rating, while its battery-electric rival, the Nissan Leaf, earns a poor rating. The Ford C-Max Hybrid, a small four-door wagon, earns an acceptable rating. Another small four-door wagon, the gasoline-powered Mazda 5, is rated poor.
At 37 years old, with a thriving concrete business, a wife and three young children, dying was the last thing on Travis Roberts’ mind. But after a doctor’s visit for a kidney stone, Roberts learned he had cholangiocarcinoma, a cancer of the bile duct. His survival rate was zero.
Roberts shared his story as part of Northwestern Mutual’s ongoing Client Stories series, which highlights the importance of financial security in the face of life’s most difficult circumstances.
To view the Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7100753-northwestern-mutual-financial-security-cancer-diagnosis-disability-insurance/
During the month of November, VPI, a Nationwide company, will donate $5 to the Animal Cancer Foundation (ACF), up to $10,000, for every photo, story or statistic shared on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram using #CurePetCancer. For more information, visit www.curepetcancer.com. To date, VPI has raised nearly $200,000 to benefit the ACF.
To view the Multimedia News Release, go to: http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7361751-veterinary-pet-insurance-teams-with-animal-cancer-foundation-for-national-pet-cancer-awareness-month/
The ranks of top-rated booster seats continue to grow as manufacturers design models to earn high marks in the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s annual booster seat evaluations, plus offer the style and convenience parents look for when it’s time to pick a safe seat for their booster-age children.
Among the 41 models new for 2014, there are 27 BEST BET seats — more than in any prior year — and three GOOD BETs. Eight boosters are in a category the Institute calls “Check Fit,” and there are three new models that the Institute doesn’t recommend using as boosters. Prices for BEST BET boosters start around $25 and go up to about $370, depending on features, and several models are LATCH compatible.
Knowing what is important in life became clear to Michael and Kim Jones after Michael was diagnosed with terminal neck cancer. “It changed us dramatically,” Kim said of the diagnosis and the ensuing five-year journey that followed.
To view the Multimedia News Release, go to: http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7100755-northwestern-mutual-client-stories-life-insurance/
A group of four minivans recently tested by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety for protection in small overlap front crashes shows some of the worst possible outcomes for this type of crash, with only one vehicle performing acceptably.
The Nissan Quest, the Chrysler Town & Country and its twin, the Dodge Grand Caravan, all earn poor ratings. The exception to the disappointing pattern is the 2015 Toyota Sienna, which earns an acceptable rating. It joins the Honda Odyssey, which last year earned a good rating in the test, in the ranks of TOP SAFETY PICK+ winners.
If you are planning to visit a beach on holiday then follow some simple tips to protect your belongings.
Sam's Beach Security Tips
• Take as few valuables as you can
• Keep belongings out of sight
• Watch your things while you unload
• Carry your key in a secure pocket
• Consider a waterproof wallet
• Take turns to keep guard
If you are travelling interstate or overseas, visit NRMA Insurance Australia (http://www.nrma.com.au) for safety tips on domestic or international travel: http://www.nrma.com.au/travel-insurance
The Los Angeles Police Department and the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) are warning motorists of a growing problem with unauthorized tow truck operators in the LA area.
These “bandit” tow truck operators monitor police radios and respond to accidents seeking to hook up vehicles and tow them to body shops or storage facilities where they are held hostage until the motorists and their insurance companies pay inflated towing, storage and possibly repair charges to get the vehicle back.
To view the Multimedia News Release, go to: http://www.multivu.com/players/English/70506514-nicb-lapd-bandit-tow-truck-scams/
The number of vehicles earning either of two awards from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has jumped to 71 from 39 this time last year, giving consumers more choices for optimum protection in crashes. The number of winners in the top tier — TOP SAFETY PICK+ — has increased by 11 for 2015, despite a tougher standard for front crash prevention.
While the bar has been raised for TOP SAFETY PICK+, the criteria for TOP SAFETY PICK are unchanged from 2014: a good or acceptable rating in the challenging small overlap front test and a good rating in each of the Institute's four other crashworthiness evaluations — moderate overlap front, side, roof strength and head restraints. The 2015 TOP SAFETY PICK+ designation is awarded to vehicles that meet those criteria and also have an available front crash prevention system that earns an advanced or superior rating.
One in four children has an undetected vision problem, and ten million American students have vision conditions that can impact learning. An annual comprehensive eye exam can ensure that correctable visual problems don’t become permanent. What if your vision insurance helped more people see? VSP® Vision Care, the largest not-for-profit vision benefits and services company in the U.S., is doing just that by launching #EyeGiveBack. Now through June 30, 2015, when a VSP Direct™ individual vision insurance plan is purchased through VSPDirect.com/EyeGiveBack, VSP will donate an eye exam and glasses to a child in need – up to a retail value of $1 million. Learn more at VSPDirect.com/EyeGiveBack.
The Island of Bantayan in Northern Cebu in the Philippines watched their country’s boxing hero Manny Pacquiao fight against Floyd Mayweather, Jr. during a live public screening on the island, which brought boundless inspiration to many who were still recovering from the effects of Typhoon Haiyan which struck the Philippines in late 2013.
The public screening on the island was made possible with the effort of a large British life insurance company operating in the country in its bid to bring inspiration to the typhoon survivors. The screening was for the first time held simultaneously in Santa Fe, Bantayan and Madridejos municipalities on Bantayan Island.
To view the Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7516751-prudential-corporation-asia/
To honor the troops who bravely serve our country, Major League Baseball’s San Diego Padres and Mercury Insurance partnered for the second year in a row yesterday to host a “packing party” to assemble care packages for Marines and Sailors from I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton California. More than 50 Mercury employees and agents, Padres players and community representatives stuffed 1,000 backpacks in right field at Petco Park following the April 29 Padres-Astros game.
To view the Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7500851-mercury-insurance-padres-packages/
